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Update: On Wednesday, Anchorage police released the name of the woman found dead in the parking lot of the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Church.
Police said 44-year-old Marya Abramczyk was found dead Tuesday morning at West 32nd Street and Turnagain Street.
Detectives with the police homicide unit continue to investigate and said additional details will be released when available.
Original: The Anchorage Police Department responded Tuesday morning to reports of a woman found dead near the Unitarian Universalist Church.
APD Homicide Unit and CSI detectives are investigating the death as a murder, according to Lt. Dave Parker, APD Public Information Officer.
Lt. Parker said in news release that "evidence at the scene indicated that foul play was involved in this death and it is currently being investigated as a homicide."
Around 8:15 a.m., police said two neighbors found the body on the church's parking lot on the 3200 block of Turnagain Street.
The neighbors attempted to render aid to the victim but after police officers' arrival, it was determined that "resuscitation efforts would be futile."
Police said Tuesday morning the woman has not been identified and age has yet to be determined. Police said the victim had auburn hair and was wearing a brown shirt and black pants.
Lt. Parker said police were in its preliminary stages of its investigation and do not know if the homicide occurred in the church parking lot or elsewhere, and if the woman was brought to the location she was found.
Around 2:20 Tuesday morning, neighbor Martha Lowe said she heard a gunshot. "I was like man that sound like a gunshot. It sounded close," said Lowe.
APD would not confirm or deny the manner of death. Other neighbors, like Mike Hviid, said he did not hear anything.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship vice president TK Kleiner said her church will likely hold some sort of memorial for the victim.
"When anyone loses their life in an unnatural possibly violent way, it's a travesty,” said Kleiner, “I am certain that whether this is one of our members or not that our church knowing our people will be very bereaved, because it happened on our property, because it's a human life. I would expect that we will be holding some sort of memorial."
Editor's Note: Upon additional details from Anchorage Police, victim's age was not released or determined Tuesday morning. KTUU's Neil Torquiano contributed to updates of this story.